Fence post



March 13, 1934. HlSE ET AL 1,951,282

FENCE POST Filed May 51, 1932 INVENTORS ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 13,1934

STATES PATENT OFFHIE FENCE POST Application May 31, 1932, Serial No. 614,585

2 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a metal fence post so constructed as to make for the quick construction of wire fences and the subsequent tensioning of the various horizontal strands of the same, so that all of said horizontal strands may be equally tensioned where the fence is carried over a hill or into a hollow, in which cases, under the present practice, there is an unequal tensioning of the strands; to provide a fence post which when being driven will tend to move laterally, so that if the fence wire be attached. beforehand, the wire will be stretched during the setting of the post; to provide a brace for use in connection with the post that will maintain the perpendicularity of the latter when being set or driven into the ground and when called. upon to stretch the wire when so set or driven; and generally to provide a fence post which is of simple form and therefore susceptible of cheap manufacture.

With this object in View, the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawing but to which embodiment the invention is not to be restricted. Continued use in practice may dictate certain changes or alterations and the right is claimed to make any falling within the scope of the annexed claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating the post constituting the invention and showing the post in erected position.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the improved post but showing the latter prior to the driving of the wire attaching clips.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the clip partially driven to effect a desired tension on the attached fence wire.

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figures 2 and 3 but showing the clip fully driven to apply full tensioning to the connected wire.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the upper end of the post. I

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of the post brace and connected post gripping member.

Formed preferably from metal, the post is formed of a cross-sectionally arcuate channel portion 10 and connected flange portion 11, the flange extending from one of the longitudinal edges of the channel portion and being formed at its free edge with a short lip 12 extending throughout the length of the flange but being disposed in back of the channel-shaped portion. This particular cross-sectional shape is maintained throughout the length of the post but the lower or ground engaging terminal 14 is deflected from the axial line of the post and both the channel and flange portions of this foot or ground engaging element are punched to provide the upwardly extending spurs 15. The spurs are of generally tapering shape and are deflected from the faces of those portions of the post from which they are punched and by reason of extending upwardly, do not impede the driving of the post but, when the latter has been driven, prevent it being pulled from the ground by reason of their tendency to bite into the earth on any pull tending to raise the post. The exposed or body portion of the post-that is, the portion exposed above the surface of the ground-is formed throughout the length of the channel portion with a series of clips 16 consisting of tongues struck from the channel portion and directed outwardly so that they protrude beyond the plane in which the edges of the channel portion lie. These extremities are upturned, as in dicated at 17, so that the longitudinal strands of fence wire 18 may be seated on the clips rior to effecting permanent attachment to the post. The permanent attachment consists in driving the clips back toward the bottom of the channel portion, when their extremities pass through the openings 18 formed in the operation of punching out the clips.

In building a fence, the initial operation consists in stretching out the wire 18 for a desired length, say seventy-five feet. A post is then attached to one end of the Wire by binding the clips on the longitudinal strands but they firmly engage the wire as indicated in Figure 4. An-

other post is similarly attached to the wire at the remote point and the first post, such as the post A, is then driven into the ground, after which the post B is driven and this operation of driving the latter effects the initial stretching of this section of the fence being erected.

But in effecting this initial stretching, brace members are employed in connection with the posts, these brace members consisting of tubular members 19 formed with hooked terminals 20 which are engaged in the ground. The tubular members slidably receive in their upper ends the N oi the shanks from the tubular members is prevented by means of the diametrical pins 25 in the tubular members which pass through slots 26 in the shanks. By this construction the shanks have limited axial movement in the tubular members and may be forced into the latter by compressive strains applied to their ends or extended by the action of the springs, the limit of movement being prescribed by the length of the slots 26.

The claw C of the brace member bears against the outer face of the flange 11 and extends clear around the free edge of the lip 12 and when deflected into an angular position with reference to the longitudinal line of the post, effects a biting action on the post by the edge 27 engaging the face of the flange 11 and the throat portion 28 at the lower edge engaging the edge of the lip 12.

With the post A set, the stretching is effected by driving the post B but with the brace set with the shank of the gripper in extended po sition. By reason of the lower end of the post being disposed at an angle, it tends to move laterally when being driven and this effects a stretching action on the fence wire 18, the brace offsetting any tendency of the upper end of the post to move backward by reason of the pull of the fence wire. But since the claw of the brace member will swing in an arcuate line as the post is driven, by reason of the anchoring point 20 being fixed which, with a solid brace would tend to move the upper end of the post further than the lower end would move laterally in entering the ground, it is necessary to make some provision to meet this condition and the spring impelled shank of the gripper constitutes this means, for the spring may be compressed as the post is driven and the brace as a whole shortened by reason of the shank being forced back into the tubular member.

In the event that the spring yields more than is desired, a pin 29 may be inserted through the tubular member directly behind the shank to arrest its inward movement. A series of spaced holes 30 are provided in the tubular member for the selective insertion of the pin at any point where it is desired to arrest the yielding movement of the shank.

By reason of the claw gripping the post as it does by engaging its upper edge 27 and its lower edge 28 with opposite sides of the post, release may be effected, even when the brace is under pressure, by tapping on the free edge of the claw which will cause it to jump up the post. Thus the claw member may be adjusted along the post as the driving of the post progresses, should there be any tendency to deflect the post out of its vertical plane by reason of the pressure applied from the brace member 19.

The terminal posts, such as A and B, of a selected length of stretch having been set, the intermediate posts are applied without braces by merely driving them into the ground at selected points. The fence wire is then attached to them by engaging the longitudinal strands with the clips 16, after which the clips are driven back into the channel portions to not only secure the wire to the posts but further tension the longitudinal strands.

A fence constructed as above may, after it has stood some time, have the wire loosened by stretch or by various impacts to which an enclosure fence is put but if the initial attach ment of the wire to the posts is as indicated in Figure 3, the retensioning after standing for a considerable length of time, may be effected by driving the clips further in on the channel portion, when the longitudinal strands of the fence wire will be drawn down into the fence channel and the desired tensioning effected.

In crossing a hill or a valley, if the tie strands, that is, the vertical strands, are to be kept in vertical position, the horizontal strands will be of progressively increasing length from the top to the bottom or from the bottom to the top depending on whether the fence crosses a valley or a hill. This difference in their lengths may be compensated for by varying the depth which these strands are seated in the channel portions. For example, if the fence cross the crown of a hill, the uppermost horizontal strand will be tight with each successive lower strand less taut. The clips on the lowermost strand can therefore be set in to the bottom of the channels and each successive ascending clip set in a reduced amount, leaving the clips engaged by the topmost longitudinal strand only set in far enough to hold the wire. Thus the post provides for setting a wire fence on ground of undulating contour with equal tensioning of the longitudinal strands without disturbing the normally vertical position of the tie strands.

By reason of the lower or foot portion of the post being deflected laterally, the bent end functions to stretch the lower strands of the fence wire when the post is being driven and its inclination, together with the spurs resist all normal strains tending to withdraw the post from the ground.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

l. A wire fence comprising spaced posts and 3 15 wire strands spanning said posts, the posts comprising cross-sectionally channel-shaped members having wire attaching clips struck therefrom at the bottoms of the channels and terminally extending beyond the edges of the channels, the channels being relatively deep and the clips having having their extremities turned at angles to their body portions, the wire strands extending across the channels and being engaged with the clips but spaced from all other parts of the channels, the clips being defiectable by an impact tool to move the engaged portions of the strands toward the bottoms of the channels and thus tension the strands across the edges of the channels.

2. A wire fence comprising spaced posts and wire strands spanning the posts, the posts comprising cross-sectionally channel-shaped members of which the edges of the channels constitute seats for the strands, and attaching means i e carried in the bottoms of the channels and engaged with the strands, the strands being spaced from all parts of the channels except said seat and said means, said means being changeable in position by means of an impact tool to move the '14 engaged portions of the strands toward the bottoms of the channels to periodically take up slack in the strands.

Til)

JOHN PAUL HISE. PAUL BERLIE HISE. 

